Roman plus Greek equals TROUBLE!
by DaughterofJupiter
Summary: What happens when a Roman and a Greek become friends, before they find out they have to hate eachother? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I woke up excited. Today was the day that our new neighbours would arrive. After two months of living out in the middle of nowhere, I would finally be able to talk to other people, besides Mom and Jack. It was summer, so school wasn't in yet, and I hadn't seen any kids my own age since we moved here. Not that I minded, because I always ended up getting into trouble at school. No, I definitely preferred to spend time with my wolves.

Speaking of wolves, I was late for feeding time.

I quickly threw on a shirt and trousers, and then raced downstairs to the kitchen. My mom was getting breakfast ready. I went to the ice box and pulled out a chunk of raw lamb meat from its depths.

"Don't spend too long out there today, Anna," my mom said, tucking my long red-blonde hair behind my ear, "We have to go to the high pasture today to check on the lambs, so I want to get an early start.

My mom and I ran our own sheep farm with the help of our hired hand Jack. It was busy this summer, because we had had a bumper crop of lambs this spring. I didn`t have much free time.

Any free time I did have was spent in the forest that surrounded our house, with my wolves. Well, they aren`t really MY wolves, they are a pack that lives in the forest, but I have made friends with them.

My mother knows about the wolves, and she is quite fine with me being with them. I find this strange, because I am sure that most mothers wouldn`t let most 7 year olds hang out with a pack of wolves. Then again, I am not exactly most 7 year olds. I was special, my mom said. I could understand what the wolves were thinking, and they understood me. My mom knew I was safe with them.

As I walked out of our large, white house and looked over the rolling hills and thick forests of North Dakota, I couldn`t help but feel a little sad. This had been my home for two months, and probably wouldn`t be for much longer. My mother and I were constantly moving, we never stayed in one place for much longer than four months. Our current record was six months, but then I had another ``accident`` and off we went. I was always having ``accidents``, people would chase me, I would see strange creatures in the woods, or I blew something up, and we would have to leave.

As I walked into the forest, I realized that I especially didn`t want to leave here. Cyrilla was about to have pups, and I wanted to stay and watch them grow up. I knew that if we left, I would find another wolf pack near our new home (there were always wolves around where we lived) but I didn`t want to leave.

The wolves knew I was coming before I was half way to the den. Thoos and Dromas, litter mates, trotted up to greet me. They were just over 1 year old, just growing into their big puppy feet. Both were a muddy red-brown colour, with Dromas being slightly bigger and darker.

``Hey boys, `` I said.

The pups wagged their tails, grinning and whimpering.

Little beggars, they were already asking for the meat that I was carrying.

``You guys know the rules, `` I said, ``Agre and Cyrilla get first dibs.``

Both pups sat at my feet, looking dejected. I laughed, ``You guys act like you haven`t eaten in weeks! Don`t your parents feed you?"

I knew that they were trying, but only their father Agre could hunt, because their mother Cyrilla was so close to having pups. Soon these two would have to hunt for themselves to get enough food.

As I came closer to the den, I saw the dark grey form of Agre in the forest to my left. He loped toward the den, a large rabbit in his mouth. He stopped in front of me and greeted me in his usual way, by bumping his head against my legs. Then he went into the den, which was under the roots of a large oak tree.

"_That explains where Cyrilla is_," I thought. She must be really close to having pups if she wasn't even leaving the den.

Once Agre came out of the den, I put the chunk of lamb down in front of him, and then backed away. This was a ritual done by all wolf packs, letting the alpha wolf take the first of the kill. Agre tore off a piece, and then I took a piece to show my place in the pack. Once we were done, Thoos and Dromas took the rest and began to eat.

I then realized what time it was, and turned to race back home. All the way I could hear rustles in the forest as Agre loped along beside me, just out of view. It seems that no matter where I go, there is always one of the wolves following me. They never show themselves, but I know they are there.

I had just gotten out of the forest when I was almost trampled by a large horse.

"Hey, watch it!" I exclaimed.

"Sorry," a voice replied from on top of the horse, "I didn't see you!"

"Well duh!" I said, glaring up at the person. I was surprised to see that it was a girl my own age, with long blonde hair and light green eyes. She, like me, was wearing trousers.

"Who are you?" I asked. This was the first girl my own age I had seen in a long time, and I wanted to get to know her better.

"I'm Rebeckah, but most people call me Beckah. My mom and I just moved into that house over there," she said, pointing to my neighbour's house.

"What about your dad?" I asked. What if she didn't know her father either?

She said it was just her mom and her. I said it was the same with me.

We were just getting through introductions when I noticed Agre prowling in the forest behind the girl. He was staring at the horse, and obviously thinking "Lunch."

"Would you like to come inside?" I asked. I had to get her and the horse out of his way before he actually tried to eat the horse.

Beckah looked startled, but agreed. She got off her horse, and I told her to go inside while I put her horse in the stable. At first she didn't want to, but eventually she gave in.

As I walked to the barn, Agre showed up next to me, grinning wolfishly and asking when I was going to share the wealth.

I moved my upper and lower lips to show my teeth, a wolf signal for anger and displeasure.

"Don't you dare touch this horse," I said, and Agre growled his unwilling consent.

After the horse was in the stable and Agre was back in the forest, I returned to the house to join Beckah.

I found her in the kitchen, talking to Jack. Jack was and older man, around 50. He was a skilled carpenter and good with the sheep, so he worked for my mom in exchange for room and board. He had been with us for as long as I can remember, and was part of our small family.

Jack was pouring 3 cups of lemonade.

"Ah, Anna, I was wondering when you were going to show up," He said, "Beckah told me you were putting her horse in the barn, but that usually doesn't take so long, does it?"

He handed me a glass, then gave one to Beckah and sat at the table.

"I had a problem with one of the dogs," I said. By 'dogs', Jack knew I meant 'wolves'. Besides my mom, he was the only other person who knew about my wolf friendship.

Jack nodded. "Well, I hate to cut this visit short," he said to Beckah, "But Anna had to go to the high pasture to help her mom, and I have fences to fix."

"Mom went to the pasture already?" I asked. Jack nodded. "And she took Tresse with her, didn't she?" Again a nod.

Tresse was my mother's horse. She was old and not very fast, but without her it would take 2 hours to reach the high pasture.

I voiced this, and Beckah offered to let me use one of her mother's horses. I agreed, and soon I was trotting to the pasture on a big chestnut stallion named Chester. He was a dream to ride compared to Tresse, and we were making good progress. We were halfway there when I heard howling from behind us. I wasn't scared, because I know wolves would never hurt me, but I had a hard time keeping the horse from bolting.

Thoos and Dromas charged up the hill towards me, whimpering and whining. I caught the words "mother", "pups", and "trouble". That was enough for me. I wheeled Chester around and raced down the hill, Thoos and Dromas close at my heels. We were going dangerously fast, and I hoped that Chester wouldn't step in a gopher hole. What a welcome that would be for Beckah and her mom: "Hey, welcome to your new home! By the way, I broke your horse's leg! Sorry!"

But still, I urged Chester to go faster. "Fly," I thought, and the horse very well seemed to. He went faster, so fast that I couldn't hear his hooves hitting the ground, nor feel the pounding as he did so.

We were soon back down the hill and galloping past my house into the forest. I had to slow the horse down now because there were no safe paths for him. Thoos and Dromas, panting heavily, raced ahead toward the den. I dismounted and looped Chester's reigns over a tree branch. Then I went to the den entrance, where Agre was pacing nervously. I dropped to my kneed and crawled through the entrance. After about 10 feet of tunnel, I came to the main area. I found Cyrilla lying there, deathly still.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I slowly approached the still wolf, and was relieved to see her breathing. As I got closer, I saw 4 small forms lying at her side. She had had her babies, I realized. Then why was she so still?

Cyrilla raised her head and looked at me, whimpering. I understood. She had a hard labour, and was too tired to care for her pups.

"The pups," I thought.

Reaching over, I felt their backs. There was a small white pup, female. Her back was warm, alive, thankfully. Then there was a large brown male. He was cold, dead. Another male, also dead. I came to the last one, a large black male. To my relief, he was also alive.

Two alive out of four. Not great, but it could have been worse.

I gently removed the dead pups, and moved the live ones closer to Cyrilla's belly. Hopefully these two would survive.

Suddenly I heard growling and snarling coming from the entrance of the den.

I heard Jack voice also. "Anna," he said, sounding slightly nervous, "Is everything OK? Um…. Do you mind asking your wolves not to kill me?"

"Oh no," I though, scrambling out of the den. I came up to see Jack backed against a tree, with three angry wolves eying his throat with eagerness.

"Hey! Back off guys!" I said, striding towards them.

The wolves didn't look too happy, but they listened and gave Jack breathing room. After he had caught his breath, I told Jack what was wrong with Cyrilla.

"We should probably give her some vitamins to help her get her strength back. I have some for the dogs, I'll go get them."

"Thanks Jack," I called as he walked back towards home.

I turned back to the den. Maybe I could help Cyrilla care for the pups until Jack came back.

Once Jack returned, (with much growling from Agre, Thoos, and Dromas), we gave Cyrilla the vitamins and the pups some milk. The new mother soon started to perk up. Soon she was able to walk around the den, gently nuzzling her two squirming pups as she did so. When she came to the two dead pups, lying in the corner where I had placed them, she let out a long whine. I could understand her sadness. Usually if a wolf pup died, it was because it wasn't strong enough to survive. The mother does not care about those pups. But both of these pups were strong, and Cyrilla knew that if she had done better, she could have had four pups instead of two.

Jack and I left, wanting to let the wolf pack see each other again.

We were almost back to the house when I voiced a question that had been nagging at my mind.

"Jack, how did you know where to find me, and that the wolves were in trouble?"

"Well," Jack replied, "When you came charging down to the forest on that horse, with the 2 wolves behind you, I knew something was up. I returned the horse to Beckah, by the way."

I nodded. "Was he OK? I kept worrying that he would break his leg in a gopher hole."

"He's fine," Jack said, "But you needn't have worried about any gopher holes." Jack looked at me, eyes serious, "You were flying, Anna, and you had that horse in the air with you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Hope you guys are liking my story so far. My friend Percyssister is writing the story form Beckah's point of view, titled "The story of my life as a Demigod". Check it out!**

**Also, please note that this story takes place in the 1850's, before the American Civil War.**

Chapter 3

3 years later

1855

I came back home tired, sore, and bleeding. I was glad Mom wasn't home, or she would freak. How did one little picnic turn into an all-out battle? Stupid Chimera.

I wasn't the only one who had suffered, though. Alva's leg was bleeding, with bright red blood flowing down her leg and staining her pure white coat. Hadrian had a deep gash on his head, and his black fur was dripping red blood along his back where the monster had grabbed him.

Jack came out to meet us, and when he saw how we looked he asked no questions but ushered us into his cabin beside the house.

"What was it this time?" he asked, getting some gauze and antiseptic lotion out of a cupboard.

"A Chimera, and a big one at that," I replied, grabbing Hadrian by the scruff of the neck as he tried to sneak away. Wolves didn't like admitting that they were hurt, and they liked accepting help even less.

"_Please mistress,"_ he said in my mind, _"I am all right, I do not need to be bandaged."_

"Ya, right," I said, "Hold still. Jack, can you toss me the gauze?"

Jack, who was bandaging a smoldering Alva's leg, reached over and threw me the gauze.

"Cheer up, you two," I said as we finished bandaging their wounds. "Pretty soon we can take the bandages off, and you'll have some lovely scars!"

Neither wolf looked too happy about this, probably because until the gauze came off, they couldn't go into the forest, or else they would be mocked by the other wolves.

"Humans!" I heard Hadrian think as he and Alva headed outside. His sister growled her agreement.

I had to smile. Neither wolf was actually mad at me, but they pretended to be in order to look tough. Such was the way with wolves.

Jack looked at me, and the smile immediately left my face. He looked me up and down, taking in my torn pants, bloody shirt, and, though I tried to hide it, the long gash stretching down my right shoulder.

"How is Beckah?" he finally asked.

"She will probably need some bandaging up too."

Jack sighed. "I will go help her now. You get cleaned up, and when I get back we will take care of you."

By the way he said it, I knew I was going to have a tough time convincing him to stay quiet.

By the time Jack returned, I had washed and bandaged all the cuts and wounds that I could. I was now cleaning the bronze knife that Jack had given me. Beckah had its twin, and those knives and Jacks fight training had been the only thing that had kept me and Beckah alive these 3 years.

"Anna," Jack started, sitting down at the table.

"Please Jack, don't tell Mom," I pleaded, "If she finds out I was chased again, she will freak out and we will have to move!"

Jack shook his head. "Anna, you were almost killed today! Beckah was almost killed today! You keep asking me to keep quiet, but every time you are attacked it's a bigger monster, and every time I have to worry about you being killed. If it wasn't for your wolves, neither of you would have been able to make it home!"

Living in one place for 3 years meant that me and Beckah were attacked by monsters a lot. Jack had given us training with our knives, but every time we were attacked I had a harder and harder time getting him to keep quiet and not tell my mother. I could tell that this time I would have my work cut out for me.

"I know, Jack, but if we leave and Beckah and I are separated, we will both die! You tell us to stay together, that we are strong together, but you want to tear us apart!" I could feel my blood starting to flow fast, and my skin began to tingle. See, when I get angry, I start shooting sparks of electricity. Jack says I get this from my father, and that I have to be careful to keep my anger in check, but right now I didn't care.

"Anna, I am trying to protect you!"

"You're trying to get me killed!" Sparks were appearing along my skin. I knew I had to calm down, but I couldn't be separated from Beckah. As the fight raged on, I could feel the electricity building up more and more. If I didn't get rid of it soon, I would explode.

I bolted outside and ran, deep into the forest. I heard Jack calling me, but I didn't care. I had to do something or I would fry myself. Suddenly I saw a large dead oak in the middle of a clearing. Stopping, I let all my anger at Jack, my fear of losing Beckah, and my hatred of the monsters that had caused this to flow out of me. Electricity coursed down my arms, exploding through the palms of my hands. A huge torrent of lightning struck the tree, starting a fire that soon consumed the whole tree. I did not stop shooting electricity until I was too exhausted to stand. Collapsing to the ground, I began to shiver uncontrollably, watching the tree burn. I had almost shot all that lightning at Jack. I could have killed him.

I did not move from that spot. My wolves came and sat beside me, protecting me from the forest night. Near dawn, Jack found me there, staring at the ashes that had once been a mighty tree. Gently Jack picked me up and carried me home in silence. He lay me on my bed and I slept. I did not wake for two days.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Blue Grass Bar, North Dakota

Jack walked into the inn's bar, scanning the crowd carefully. Anna was still asleep, as she had been for a day already, waking only long enough to have a few sips of water.

He wasn't overly worried about her, demigods often passed out for weeks after using their powers. And from what he had seen, Anna had given everything she had into destroying that tree. Boy, it had worked!

Jack soon saw the man he was looking for, sitting in the back corner of the room. He was wearing a black suit, with close cut black hair and a black beard. Jack walked over and sat down.

"Hello, son of Vulcan," the man said. "You requested to meet me?"

"Yes, Lord Jupiter," Jack replied. "It is about Anna. You told me to inform you if anything big happened."

Jupiter nodded, waiting.

Jack continued, "The day before yesterday, Anna was attacked by a Chimera. She was mostly alright, but she and I had a fight, and she became very angry. Angry enough to electrocute a tree to ashes."

Jupiter looked thoughtful. "What was the fight about?"

"Anna didn't want me to tell her mother about the battle. I have covered for Anna before when she had been attacked by a monster, but this time it seemed too sever to hide. Anna strongly disagreed. She doesn't want to move again."

"Anna is used to moving around," Jupiter said, "Why is this time any different?"

"Well, she has made a friend in the three years the she has lived here. A very good friend. That's another reason why I think that they should move. This friend is also a demigod, and she's a….. Well, she is a Greek." Jack shifted uncomfortably.

"A Greek! And they haven't killed each other?" Jupiter paused. "I will go see Anna. Then I will decide what to do. Good bye, son of Vulcan." With a great wind, the god disappeared.

Jack wondered if he had done the right thing.

I woke up with a massive head ache. My tongue felt like sand paper, and my right shoulder could barely move. After a long drink of water from the cup by thy bed, I felt better. I looked around and saw Hadrian and Alva lying by my dresser.

Ever since I rescued them form a mountain lion when they were pups, Hadrian and Alva had been my constant companions. We had formed such a strong bond that I could understand their thoughts, and they could understand mine. They were the main reason I was still alive today, because they had protected me from the monsters that had attacked me in the three years they had been with me.

Hadrian got up and tugged at my sleeve.

"I know, buddy, time to get up," I laughed weakly. But when I tried to stand, my legs collapsed and I fell back onto my bed. Alva came over and whimpered.

"Ok, let's try this again," I said, "A little help would be appreciated."

Getting the hint, both wolves positioned themselves with their backs to me. I grabbed the fur on the backs of their necks, and stood again, using them for support. Doing this, I managed to walk to the kitchen, where I found a cup on the table. It was full of a clear liquid that looked like water. There was a note from Jack attached to it:

Anna,

I have gone to town to pick up some supplied.

If you wake up, drink this, it will make you feel

better. Your mother should be back from the

sheep auction later today.

Jack

"Ok," I thought, "liquid painkillers?"

I drank it anyways. The taste surprised me. I thought it would be tasteless, but instead it tasted like my mother's ice cream with berries.

Immediately I felt better. My headache left, my sore muscles disappeared, and my right shoulder healed.

"Wow!" I thought, "Powerful stuff!"

I went to the bathroom and washed away the blood from all my cuts. After a little while I decided to go to Beckah's house to see if she was OK.

I let the wolves out and they raced into the forest. As I began walking down the dirt trail that Beckah and I used as a short-cut between our houses, I saw a man walking up the lane to my house.

My stomach did a flip, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

The man wore a black business suit. He has close-cut black hair and a black beard. He could have been a banker, but if he was, he was the most evil banker in the world.

He looked exactly like he had 3 years ago when he came to my house and made my mom cry. We moved the next day. The time before that, he came, made my mom cry, and we moved. The time before that, same thing. The time before that… Well, you get the picture.

Before my mom and I moved here, he would come almost every four months. He would talk to my mom, she would end up crying, and we would pack up and leave our friends behind, going to some other part of the country. When we moved here and he didn't come for 3 years, I thought he was gone for good. Apparently not.

"Well one thing's for sure," I thought, "I am not moving again." And with both Mom and Jack gone, I could make sure of that.

As the man approached the front door, I snuck in the back door and was ready by the time he knocked.

"Hello?" I said, opening the door.

"Hello Anna. May I speak with your mother?" He asked.

I wanted to scream at him to go away and leave my family alone, but instead I told him to wait, then went inside and pretended to talk to my mom.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," I said when I got back. "She says go away."

"Really?" the man said, "May I speak with her?"

"That would kind of go against her not talking to you, now wouldn't it?" I could feel my temper rising, and sparks once again began prickling under my skin.

"Are you sure that your mother won't talk to me?"

This guy was getting really annoying. I didn't mean to, but some electricity escaped from my fingers and shocked the ground at the man's feet.

He looked at the ground, then at me, eyebrows raised. After a brief pause he smiled.  
>"I am truly sorry to bother you. Send my regards to your mother," he said, then turned around and walked away.<p>

I slammed the door shut and leaned against it. "That was weird." I said to no one in particular.

I waited a few minutes to make sure that the man was gone, then went back outside and continued on my way to Beckah's house.

Wolf House, San Francisco

Jupiter walked through the darkness towards an old stone house. He heard Lupa's pack circling just out of eyesight. He saw a couple of them break away from the pack and head for the Wolf House to alert Lupa.

Before long, Lupa trotted up.

"Lord Jupiter," she growled reservedly. She was unsure of why the lord of the skies was standing before her.

"Good evening," said Jupiter, inclining his head.

He was in the form of a man with Roman armor, and Lupa's head came close to his shoulder height.

"And for what reason have you graced us with your presence?" The wolf cocked her head.

"It is time," the god said.

"Time?" Lupa's ears perked forward. "The girl is only eleven! We usually wait at least another year before we begin their training. She may not survive!"  
>"I have spoken with her. Her powers are already very strong. She will be fine."<p>

Lupa laid her ears against her head. We cannot make exceptions for the weak. If she cannot prove herself strong, she will die."

"You have had demigods little older than her survive."

"And ones years older than her die!" Lupa growled.

Jupiter ignored this and turned away. "Lupa, she will survive. Now go and retrieve my daughter."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I got back from Beckah's relieved that she seemed no worse for wear than I was. Apparently Jack had given her some of that clear liquid too.

Alva and Hadrian came in, each proudly carrying a rabbit. They gave then to me, and I cut off a chunk from each. These would make great rabbit stew. I then gave the rabbits back to the wolves, and they trotted happily into a corner to eat their catch.

I decided to clean the house up a bit before Mom got home. I had just finished tidying up the kitchen when I noticed that Alva was staring intently out the window. As I watched, Hadrian also got up and went to look at something outside.

Curious, I went for a look too. There were 3 people coming up the lane. They looked to be about 17. "More weirdoes," I thought. And then I saw the swords.

Each person had a long gold sword in a sheath strapped to their waist. One of them carried a long bow and a quiver full of arrows too. They were all staring intently at the house.

They didn`t look like monsters, but you could never be too careful. I reached for the knife that Jack had given me. Whatever they had come for, they wouldn`t get it without a fight.

The three people walked onto the porch. One of them – the leader – knocked on the door. I went to open it, Hadrian and Alva crowding at my heels until I sent them to wait in the kitchen. They would come if I needed them.

I opened the door. The person who had knocked smiled down at me. Or at least he tried to smile. His face looked like it had been run over by a horse. It was a mass of bruises and black eyes, with greasy black hair covering a good part of it. By the time he stopped trying to smile, I had counted 6 missing teeth. I didn`t like him, not because of how he looked, but because there was something in his eyes that told me I couldn`t trust him.

``Hello Anna, `` he said, another attempt at a smile ending in a grimace.

``Hello, `` I said, looking past him at his companions. There was a girl with short blonde hair. She was tall and strongly built, but she looked nice.

Beside her was a boy who was the exact opposite of Mr. Smiles. He was very thin with snow white hair, and his face did not look like it had a run in with a cranky horse.

"May we come in?" Smiles tried again, looking expectantly into the house.

"No." I really didn't want these people in my house.

Mr. Smiles stopped smiling. "Move kid," he said, taking a step towards me.

I held my ground. "Make me."

Something in Mr. Smiles' eyes snapped. He lunged forward, sword suddenly appearing in hand, his companions close behind him.

I took a step back into the living room, giving myself room to fight, drawing my knife at the same time.

"Well Jack," I thought, "let's see how good those fighting lessons were."

I raised my knife to block Smiles' sword, then spun to quickly dodge a blow from Snow White. Hadrian and Alva, hearing the fight, charged into the room and each leapt for one of the boys' throats.

But a few sharp words from the girl, something like "Desino, we come from Lupa!", and both wolves stopped their attack and retreated to a corner, watching the fight anxiously.

I didn't spend much time puzzling over the wolves strange behavior, or wonder who Lupa was, because I was too busy trying to stop myself from being skewered by a sword. I was outmatched. It was 3 to 1, and they were obviously more experienced than I was at fighting. Plus, it was 3 swords against one dinky knife.

Still, considering all these things, I was doing quite well. Until, that is, my mom walked in. Jack always told me to not let myself get distracted when I am fighting. Wise words, but I doubt even he would be able to concentrate if his mom walked in when he was in the middle of a fight. I sure couldn't.

"Mom?" I said, stopping and staring at her. Big mistake, as it turns out, because then the girl nailed me over the head with the butt of her sword. It hurt. A lot. I turned to go after her, but then I realised that my legs no longer wanted to obey me, or support me. I collapsed, and as the ground rushed up to meet me, I heard my mom scream. Then everything when black.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I woke up to rough rocking and jolting. When I say "wake up" I mean that I was conscious of things going on around me, but I couldn't move and my eyes refused to open.

That may have been a good thing, because I could hear people talking nearby. The longer the freaks with swords thought I was asleep, the better.

"How much longer?" someone to my right asked. It was Mr. Smiles.

"If all goes well, a few hours," this voice came from my left. It was the girl who had knocked me out.

"The sooner the better," said a voice far to my right. It was Snow White. "I want to get there before that girl wakes up."

"Oh come on, John! Her hands are tied, what is she going to do?" It was the girl again.

"Well," I thought, "that would explain why I can't move." I had regained control over my eyelids again, so I risked opening my eyes a crack.

I was sitting in the back of a covered wagon, sitting between two sacks. To my right I could see Mr. Smiles, and further past him the John guy, who was driving the horses. The girl was leaning against the half door at the back of the wagon, facing Mr. Smiles. Behind her I could see a long winding road cutting through a large field of rolling hills. In the distance I could see the tree line of a forest.

Mr. Smiles also seemed to be looking out the back of the wagon, because he said, "I don't see the wolves any more. Are they still following us?"

The girl craned her neck around to look out the back. "Yes," she said after a pause. "It looks like they're flanking the wagon.

Mr. Smiles groaned. "Can't you shoot them or something? It's creeping me out the way they keep following us."

The girl shook her head. "I can't shoot wolves from Lupa's pack. Besides, they're keeping the monsters away. You saw the way they attacked that minotaur. They are protecting the girl."

I had to struggle to hide my grin. Hadrian and Alva hadn't left me, and I would have a better chance of surviving after I escaped if they were with me. Now I just had to find out how to escape.

First things first: the rope. Using a trick that I had figured out while training with Jack, I let a little electricity roll along my hands and wrists. The sparks caught fire on the rope, and soon I was able to pull apart the charred remains of what had once been some very good rope.

Now that my hands were free, I needed a weapon. Looking around carefully, I could see my knife close to the front of the wagon. No way would I be able to reach it. But, Mr. Smiles had left his sword on the floor next to him, only a foot away from me. Perfect.

Glancing around to see if anyone was looking, I carefully moved my foot so it just touched the hilt of the sword. In one movement, practiced many times before with Jack, I swung my foot around and up, kicking the sword towards me. I grabbed it and was up in and instant, lunging towards the back of the wagon and freedom.

Mr. Smiles was also up quickly, but with no sword there wasn't much he could do. The girl raised her sword to block me, but I knocked it out of the way and jumped out the wagon.

I hit the ground running and didn't look back. There was a line of trees in the distance, and I headed that way. Soon I heard the light sound of paws hitting the earth and at my side appeared Hadrian and Alva. Together we ran towards the trees, to darkness and safety.

Lupa looked at the three demigods standing before her. They all had their heads bowed and were very still.

She addressed the boy in the middle. "Franz, is it true that the girl has escaped?"

The boy grimaced, which made his already battered face look even worse. "Yes, m'lady," he said.

Lupa twitched her tail, annoyed. "And how is it," she growled, "That a ten-year-old – no more than a pup! – could escape from 3 almost-grown demigods?"

All 3 teenagers hung their heads even lower.

Lupa continued. "You can only hope that when the girl turns up that she is not hurt, or all of you will be punished. Franz, I belief that you still remember what happened the last time you were punished?"

Franz flinched and touched his battered face. Then the girl spoke up.

"M'lady, how do you know that the girl will turn up?" she asked.

"Because, child," Lupa grinned. "Around here, all roads lead to Romans."

It was cool and dark under the shade of the trees. I didn't stop running until I was deep in the forest, and I was sure my captures weren't following me.

I then sank to the ground and leaned against a nearby tree, my head pounding so badly I thought I would throw up.

Alva sat down beside me, nuzzling just behind my left ear where the girl had hit me on the head with the hilt of her sword.

"Does it hurt, Mistress?" I heard her thought in my head.

"I'll be fine," I said out loud. "Just give me a minute.

I had learned many things because of my close bond with Hadrian and Alva, and one of those things was that a wolf was never to show weakness. Weakness made one vulnerable, and it would be easy for an enemy to kill you if they knew that you could not fight back. So I dealt with the pain silently, and after a few minutes stood slowly.

"So how long was I in the wagon?" I asked the wolves when I was sure that my legs would support me.

"We followed you for three days, Mistress," Hadrian said.

Three days. I tried to figure out how far we would have gotten, and where we would be now. I could see that we had been heading south-west because of the position of the sun, sot we would be close to….

"California!" I exclaimed. "Why on earth would those people want to take me to California?" And more importantly, how would I get home?

After a brief discussion with my wolves, we decided to set up camp for the night (it was getting dark) and would start heading home in the morning.

I started a fire while Hadrian and Alva looked for something to eat. It didn't take me long to start the fire, I just lit a pile of sticks with a zap of electricity. Once the fire was going well, I leaned against the tree to have a closer look at the sword I had taken from Mr. Smiles.

It wasn't very long, as swords go. I tried to remember what Jack had taught me about swords in our training lessons. This sword looked like a Roman gladius. I had never liked this kind of sword, because it was so short it gave you no room when you fought, you had to be right up close to your opponent. I saw on the hilt of the sword an engraving.

To my surprise, I knew that the words were Latin, and I knew what it meant "Virtus Omnia" which meant "The power of all"

This was getting more and more confusing all the time. I really wished Jack was here, because he would be able to explain it all.

Hadrian and Alva returned with a couple of rabbits, so, using the sword, I skinned and roasted them.

After we had eaten, I lay down with Hadrian and Alva on either side of me and slept.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I awoke with a start. Something was moving around in the forest nearby.

Alva and Hadrian were also awake, staring intently into the forest on my left. Hadrian growled, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

I reached for the sword I had stolen from Mr. Smiles. Whatever was out there could not be friendly, otherwise Hadrian wouldn't be so agitated.

I started in the direction that Hadrian was staring, when I noticed that Alva was facing the other direction, also growling. Whatever it was in the forest, it was not alone.

Then I heard a sound like hissing. It was coming from all directions. We were surrounded.

It was too dark for me to see more than 10 feet away from the campfire, but suddenly Hadrian lunged into the darkness. I heard a thud and a shriek. Hadrian returned looking rather pleased with himself. Obviously he had killed one of them.

"Great," I said. "One down, who knows how many more to go."

From the darkness came a voice that sounded like hissing. "You will never kill all of usssss," it said. "It would be sssso much easssier if you jussst sssurendered. We will kill you quickly, I promisssse."

"Not likely." I said.

"Then your death ssshall be mossst painful."

A figure appeared out of the darkness. Alva moved so that she was between me and the monster, and I was able to get a good look at it.

The monster looked like a woman from the waist up, but where her legs were supposed to be were two long snake bodies.

I had seen a lot of monsters in my 12 years of life, but this one had to be the strangest. What worried me most was that, unlike most monsters, this one carried a sword. Monsters weren't supposed to have weapons.

And then more snake ladies started stepping –or should I say slithering – out of the shadows. They formed a loose ring around us, more than a dozen of them. They were all armed with either swords, spears, or weighted nets. My odds of surviving this encounter had just been smashed to bits.

_Shall we fight them, Mistress?_ Hadrian asked eagerly, crouching down to pounce.

_No,_ I thought back. _There are too many, we can't fight all of them._

_If we can't out fight them, perhaps we can out run them,_ Alva suggested.

It was a good idea. I was a fast runner, and the snake ladies didn't look like they could move very fast. I relayed this to Hadrian and Alva, and at the same time we all charged the nearest monster.

Hadrian reached her first, and with a quick bite to the throat she dissolved into dust.

Taking advantage of the new opening, Alva and I sprinted out of the circle and into the trees, Hadrian right on our heels.

I soon found out that the snake ladies were, in fact, very fast. I could hear them chasing us, steadily gaining ground.

Desperately I looked for a place where I would be able to fight while keeping my back protected. I could not let them get behind me, because if they did then it would be over.

I couldn't see anything that I could use. All the trees were too thin to provide much cover, and there was nothing else to use.

So I kept running. Alva and Hadrian ran beside me, except when they would dart off to the side to attack a monster that had come too close.

I don't know how long we ran. I was a good distance runner, having run in the forest with Hadrian and Alva at home, but now I was tired. My lungs were burning, and I couldn't breathe fast enough. The monsters were gaining, and I knew that soon I would have to turn and fight.

Finally I saw a large rock to my right. I dove toward it, lifting my stolen sword as I went. Standing there, facing the trees behind which I knew the monsters were hiding, I felt scared for the first time since I had been taken from my home.

I began to feel hopeless as the monsters stepped into view. There were a dozen of them, and, counting Hadrian and Alva, only 3 of us. We couldn't fight them all at once!

Sensing my despair, Alva nuzzled my hand. _Don't worry, mistress,_ she said. _We will protect you._

I smiled down at her, grateful to have her and her brother at my side. I knew that no matter what happened, they would not leave me. Knowing this gave me great comfort.

The first monster charged suddenly, and I lifted my sword and cut off her arm. She dissolved into dust, and this seemed to anger the other monsters. They all charged as one.

I raised my sword to meet them, and started slashing at monsters wildly. The sword I was using was too heavy for me, so I found the fighting very difficult. Hadrian and Alva lunged at the monsters throats, but they could not fight off the swarm. We were being pushed apart by the monsters, and I tripped. One of the snake ladies raised her spear to stab me in the heart. I closed my eyes, waiting for the final blow.

Then I heard the howling of wolves.

**Hope you guys liked the chapter. Sorry for taking so long to update! I would really like to know what you think of the story so far! Also, I am in need of ideas for things I should do at the wolf camp. (sorry, spoiler!) But, ya, I would really like some ideas. **


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